The Seventh Neck of Orochi
by Zerrat
Summary: One promise determined the fate of the Seventh Neck of Orochi. One promise, one action, and suddenly everything changed. As Souma fights to resist the siren call of Orochi, other forces seek an alliance - even if it ultimately breaks him. AU.


**The Seventh Neck**

**By Zerrat**

* * *

**Disclaimer**: All characters and dialogue present in the anime and manga _Kannazuki no Miko_ belong to Kaishaku and their distributors. I lay no claim to these, and merely wish to explore their world.

**Warnings: **Aside from being a much darker look at the tale of _Kannazuki no Miko, _I feel compelled to let this slip. This is a Souma and Orochi-centric fic. If this horribly offends you in _any _way, feel free to press the back-button. I realize that Souma is one of the less-liked (which is putting it kindly) characters in the fandom. I can still feel that I'm totally going to cop a lot of flak for this...

Furthermore, this is an AU fic, the divergence point yet to be revealed. Know only this; one action, one promise determined the fate of the Seventh Neck of Orochi. One promise, one action, and suddenly _everything_ changed.

If Souma seems a little different (for example, a little more sneaky and aware of his surroundings) that's for a reason yet to be revealed.

Yes, there will be shoujo-ai. I have **no intention** of breaking up our favourite couple, Chikane/Himeko.

So. AU divergence point that changes the fate of a number of characters, Souma-centric, shoujo-ai, dark, abusive. Give it a try, you know you want to.

Our tale begins on the outskirts of Mahoroba…

* * *

**Chapter One: ****The Oncoming Darkness**

_Tsubasa … Brother…_

The rain pounded down, and he blinked away the water that was gathering in his eyelashes. The cold hilt of the sword was gripped in his numb fingers, the point of it resting lazily on the muddied earth. Haltingly, slowly, he craned his neck up, staring dully at the grey-washed sky. There was no sign of an end, no sign of the sun peering through the gathering storm clouds now. He blinked again slowly, finding that he no longer cared about such things. There was the smell of scorched earth and burning flesh on the wind, and he slowly lowered his gaze from the bleak, thunderous sky.

Thunder rumbled above, and the hair on the back of his neck stirred. He ignored it.

Mahoroba, the town where he'd been born, where he'd been raised by first his father and later, Kazuki Oogami. Mahoroba, the sleepy town where nothing changed and nothing happened, where time moves slowly. Stagnant, old Mahoroba, a town that clung to the old religions and the old ways, a town that seemed half frozen in a time long past. Mahoroba, now a glorious crater of burned earth, and buildings that had been scorched clean away by the sheer force of his power.

He considered his immediate feelings, and came up with nothing but indifference. He wasn't sorry about it; the change was almost a positive one. What would Tsubasa say about it? Would he be proud of his younger brother? He tried not to think of Kazuki Oogami, and was surprised at how easily he ignored the old memories.

Souma let the sword clatter to the ground beside him, his soaking hair falling into his dull eyes as the symbol on his forehead throbbed. He rubbed at it with a numbed hand, noting the blood on the back of it, the bruising.

_Quite a fighter, _a cold voice in his head mused. _Too bad she's probably dead now. Would have made a valuable ally. No matter. _

Souma fell to his knees into the muddied earth, letting the rain pour down his body, over his ripped shirt. The rain began to wash the blood from his injuries, he noted. The thought annoyed him suddenly, and he slicked back his wet hair and roared to the sky,

"TSUBASA!"

He took a deep breath, gasping for air suddenly as dry sobs shook him.

"_TSUBASA_! Brother…" He slammed his fist to the ground. The lack of damage it did concerned him, and he slammed his fist on the ground again, _harder. _His mouth creaked into a smile at the small crater it made. He was strong, strong enough for his brother to love him again, to welcome him to Orochi with welcome arms, strong enough that nobody could ever hurt him again-

"What do I do now?" he sobbed, begging the sky, the rain, his brother for help. "I killed them. I killed them all. All of them… What do I do now? How do I…?"

He was the Seventh Neck of Orochi, and he would serve his destiny faithfully. It had been their fault, they'd deserved this. Tsubasa had been right, he'd always been right. None of them had deserved his protection. He'd come from pain and destruction, and that was all he could ever give. He knew that now.

_No matter._

He wished she'd reconsidered, he wished…

_No. No matter at all. _

He hiccoughed. Maybe she'd survived, maybe –

_No survivors, _his mind told him. _None. Where is my brother? Where is…? Brother…?_

Souma closed his eyes, letting the rain pound against his flesh and washing away any evidence of his tears.

* * *

Using an oversized red marker, Souma crossed the day off on his calendar, grinning to himself. Kazuki had always told him to be proactive and to reach for set goals, though he was fairly certain that the researcher's words were more meant for _academic_ achievements, rather than chasing down the girl of his dreams.

He stretched restlessly, working the slightly sore joint of his right shoulder gently. There was meant to be a match scheduled today – rumour had it that his opponent would be Chikane Himemiya. Souma grimaced, working the shoulder again.

_Still stiff, _he noted glumly, sitting back on his futon cross-legged, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. _Ever since that match…_

It had been an incidental, but largely bothersome injury. A pulled ligament, one that had kept him out of the matches last week, much to the disappointment of his many fangirls. He'd been reluctant to lose the week, but his coach had insisted. After all, he didn't want one of his star players to be hurt even worse. Perhaps, Souma mused, he should put off his return another week – Himemiya was not exactly someone you could take lightly. Injured as he was, he doubted he'd make a good showing against her.

Souma sighed, shrugging into his white school shirt and buttoning it up. Maybe it was better that he pulled out, though that would mean some other poor sucker would have Himemiya whaling on him. Choices, choices.

Pulling on his trousers, Souma padded out of his bedroom and into the small, traditional house. It was located near the much larger temple, and was tucked out of the way, quiet and private – just how Kazuki liked it. Well, when Souma wasn't home it was quiet, anyhow. He just seemed to bring chaos into Kazuki's home, though the man had never reprimanded him for it.

His feet squeaked on the wooden floors loudly as he entered the cramped kitchen. Judging by the extra set of shoes at the door, Yukihito had already arrived. The temple assistant was one of Souma's closer friends, but sometimes he had no concept of personal space, damnit. The term might as well have been in French for all Yukihito cared.

Oddly enough, the temple assistant was not in the kitchen, hogging all of the tea as normal. Souma frowned, looking about the kitchen. He thought he saw a flash of green hair and a mop of brown near the living room. His frown deepened. What in the name of the gods were Kazuki and Yukihito doing at this hour? He crept closer, pressing himself flat against the cupboards as his ears strained.

_Always be wary of your surroundings, _someone dear to him had once said. Who could blame Souma if he took that advice?

"-and if nothing happens tomorrow?" Souma thought he heard Yukihito hiss, just out of sight. He sounded defensive – angry.

"Then we thank the gods that it wasn't this year," Kazuki's deeper voice was quiet. There was a tenseness there that Souma had never heard before – what could throw the calm, near-reclusive Kazuki?

There was silence, and then Souma heard Kazuki sigh.

"We have to be on guard. The darkness clouds the horizon, worse than I've ever felt it to be. All will be revealed tomorrow. No matter what happens."

Souma beat a quick retreat as he heard someone's footsteps creaking over the polished, wooden floor in his direction. He hastily made himself busy as he fixed himself a quick breakfast of last night's leftovers, washing it down with a mug of hot tea as Yukihito wandered into the kitchen. Souma shot the boy a subtle glance, out the corner of his eye. What had he and Kazuki been talking about?

_Darkness on the horizon… _he mused, his eyes going distant. Perhaps _he _would know something about it – he was always spouting that kind of thing. Souma had never really taken him all that seriously. But if the unshakable, stable Kazuki was worried, then maybe-

Yukihito stared at him with one blue eye, the intensity of his gaze enough to jolt Souma out of his musings. The other was obscured by the boy's light brown hair, but Souma knew that the other was probably open and staring at him as well.

"Have I got something on my face?" Souma asked bluntly as Yukihito flopped himself down at the other side of the table, still staring.

"Yes, I suppose you do. That travesty you call a nose is pretty awful," the boy told him squarely, flipping his hair back as Souma gawked at him.

_Ass, _Souma thought in annoyance, as he shoveled another clump of rice into his mouth.

Yukihito grinned at him, raising an eyebrow as he leaned across the table, cupping a hand over his mouth. "D-day's nearly here," he told Souma in a conspiratorial whisper.

"D-day?" Souma asked, skeptical. Was this about what he and Kazuki had been discussing? Yukihito shrugged, in a great show of nonchalance.

"Yeah. The big confession day."

Souma, who'd just taken a long sip of tea, nearly sprayed it all over his best friend as he yelped, "Wait, who told _you _that?!"

* * *

Souma roared out of the driveway of the Oogami shrine, revving the motorbike hard as he fumed over Yukihito's playful barbs. He was right about the calendar, though, and the hearts he'd subconsciously drawn around the date… and the bubble-headed sighing he'd been doing the past few days, the spacing out for daydreams –

_Oh no, I'm not going to admit that he was right about anything, _he told himself firmly. _No way am I encouraging that blunt kid to be any more overbearingly right than he already is. _

The countryside whirled by him as he roared down the quiet Mahoroba roads, heading for where he attended high school at the prestigious Ototachibana Academy. He hadn't been sure of how he'd managed to land the scholarship to attend the Academy, only that he was immensely glad that he had. In his more idle moments, he suspected Kazuki of calling in an old favor from some of the men on the Academy's council.

Souma had seen to it that Kazuki – and the Academy – had not regretted giving him that chance. But it wasn't only for Kazuki that he'd tried as hard as he did, nor excelled far beyond the reaches of his classmates. Nor was it for the board of governors, or to catch the eye of Chikane Himemiya, as rumour sometimes held it.

He pulled up at the gates of the Ototachibana Academy, removing his helmet and swinging his leg over the side of his bike as he dismounted. After stuffing his helmet into his bag, he began to wheel it through the gates to the designated park. Nobody would touch his property; that he could be sure of. Half the guys in the school were too nervous to challenge him in sports, let alone do something as drastic as stealing his bike.

Souma looked up, shielding his eyes against the morning sun as he scanned the crowd moving up the steps to the Academy. He'd arrived later than he usually did, in the hopes of catching up with her that morning. He was not disappointed.

There she was, hurrying up the steps with her ever-present friend and near-bodyguard, her long golden hair tied back with a red ribbon. The reason for his drive, his success.

"Himeko," he murmured, shouldering his bag. If he hurried, he could probably catch up to her, greet her, and maybe do something to catch her attention. For all his achievements, she remained distant from him, an elusive dream. Was she put off by the young boy, his knees skun and tears in his eyes, who she used to play with when they were children? He sighed, taking the steps two at a time.

Perhaps it was chance, perhaps it was some extra sense that made the back of his neck tingle, causing him to look up at that instant. His eyes widened in panic as he saw her fall, even as his body moved without thinking. It was a long way down the steps, and she'd surely break her neck! He was too far away to reach her, he realized in desperation as he lunged upwards-

"Miya-sama!" Souma heard a chorus of voices suddenly exclaim, their tones a mix of surprise, admiration, and jealousy. His eyes scanned desperately for Himeko, hoping beyond hope that somehow she'd not fallen and badly hurt herself. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief as he spied her in Himemiya's arms. The heiress must have been a few steps behind her – perhaps he hadn't seen her because his mind had been so totally focused on Himeko.

_Huh, I should thank Himemiya, later. That was a good thing she did, for a person she hardly knows, _Souma decided suddenly. Maybe he'd do so, during their advanced classes. Maybe during sport. For now, though, he only had eyes for Himeko as he stared at her, trying to reassure himself that she was okay, that she hadn't been hurt in her fall.

As he watched a flushed Himeko pass Himemiya her fallen books, he sighed and readjusted the shoulder-strap of his bag. Clearly, it was not his day to walk with Himeko up the stairs. Following such excitement, he doubted she'd care to talk to him anyway. Instead, as the bell rang and the students quickened their pace to head to class, he began to jog up the remaining steps.

* * *

Chikane Himemiya was one hell of a woman, as the nearest common gossip would no doubt tell him with deep sincerity. Souma wasn't one to normally pay attention to the currents of popularity in the Academy, but for once, the gossips were definitely right. He rubbed his stiffened, sore shoulder as he watched her pound yet another tennis ball at his teammate, dully keeping score in his head. Himemiya's point, yet again.

His teammate, Daisuke Torimoto, really didn't stand a chance against her. Worse, the coach had been positive that Daisuke would be the only one who could put up a fight, without Himemiya emasculating him entirely. Some prediction that turned out to be – the next point would seal the set and the match, and Daisuke was still yet to score a point on her.

Still, he had to frown a little at Himemiya's ferocity. Just what kind of point was she trying to prove?

Souma didn't know Chikane all that well, outside her obvious academic and sports prowess. After all, at Ototachibana Academy, who _didn't _know of the school idol's achievements? What, with most of the guys and nearly half the girls pouring their hearts out to her every single day? Souma watched the pair exchange a volley of hits, his eyes thoughtful.

Himemiya was beautiful, yes. Incredibly so. Smart, intelligent, rich – in many students' opinions, she was the perfect woman. And yet with such natural grace and ability, she still pushed herself to be the best, to be the very top. He wasn't sure what drove her, only that he respected her for her hard work and dedication to it.

Souma had been surprised at how easily the coach had agreed that Souma should not play the match against Himemiya. Much to the disappointment of half the school, he was sidelined for yet another week while his shoulder injury healed up. Of course, there would be some guys who would call him chicken for not facing the talented heiress on the court. It was better to just ignore such comments entirely.

Desperate to take his mind off the depressing match, he scanned the crowds the match had drawn quickly. He smiled slightly, catching a glimpse of the familiar red bow and golden hair. He'd hoped Himeko would come to his match.

_I just wish I'd been able to play my best for her, and give her a good show, _he thought as she watched Himemiya tear into Daisuke again, the tilt of her head showing that she was following volleys between the two players with great interest. _It would have been better than this blood-fest. _

Souma sighed as the umpire signalled the end of the game, and a beet-red Daisuke leaned over the net, offering his hand in congratulations to the victor. Himemiya gracefully accepted his well wishes, even though it was painfully obvious he didn't mean a word of it. Daisuke was not one to take such a stunning defeat well, even if it was at the hands of a woman like Himemiya.

Daisuke was cursing loudly under his breath as he made his way over to where the rest of the boys tennis team sat, scowling at Souma. Souma just raised his eyebrow at him, indicating that he'd like to hear what his teammate wanted to say. If Daisuke had a problem, it was better to get the other boy to air them quickly. He had the disturbing habit of stewing over the problem for weeks after the incident.

"You know, if you had the balls to play Himemiya, none of this would have happened," Daisuke hissed at him in a low voice, snatching the drink-bottle Souma was silently offering him. "You would have gotten crucified, rather than me."

Souma shrugged. "Who knows?" he said, carefully choosing his words to be as neutral as possible. "You still did good, considering."

"Considering she eats men like us for breakfast," Daisuke laughed then, the sullenness falling away from his features. Souma grinned at him, letting his teammate clap him on the shoulder in an exaggerated show of forgiveness.

_That's right, give him a way out, _Souma thought as Daisuke leaned over to listen to the coach's critique of the match._ Let him laugh it off, it'll become a joke, rather than a shameful memory. _

His scanned the crowd again, hoping that Himeko had decided to wait around after the match's conclusion. There wasn't a sign of a large, red bow, or of her friend, Saotome. With a sigh, he realized that she'd probably moved off after Himemiya's match point, disappointed in the show the boys' team had put up. Now, more than ever, he regretted the niggling injury in his shoulder. Maybe she would have stayed around, had he won.

At the other end of the court, Himemiya was accepting a damp towel from one of her teammates, a loud girl with blue ringlets. She hardly looked like she'd worked up a sweat, Souma noted as he rose to his feet. Daisuke looked up at him in surprise.

"Hey, Souma, where are you-"

"Just got to take care of something!" Souma called back, already jogging across the court and ignoring his friend's half-hearted complaints. Himemiya was surrounded by her fans, each of them squealing something or other about how amazing and noble 'Miya-sama' was. He ignored them, waving a hand to get Chikane's attention. She looked him up and down, her gazing piercing and questioning, all at once.

"Himemiya! A word with you, if I can?" he asked, nearly shouting over the chatter of the fangirls. He saw her nod quickly, politely but firmly excusing herself from the company of the half a dozen hangers on. He led her a short distance away from the group, a little wary of the ability girls had to gossip. He'd been burned a few times, and wasn't in the mood for his gratitude to be broadcast down the school grapevine.

"What might I help you with, Oogami?" Himemiya's voice was low and melodious, but meticulously polite. The perfect woman? He'd always wondered about that. The heiress couldn't have lacked more personality had she been _trying_. "If this concerns your teammate's loss, then I must apologize-"

"I wanted to thank you," Souma cut across her words, blunt and honest. "For this morning."

She raised one dark eyebrow at that. "I'm sorry?"

"For saving Himeko Kurusugawa," he added quickly. "It was a good thing you did, for someone you do not know well. I was too far away to help, and I regret that."

She looked into the distance, her eyes suddenly very far away. He frowned, wondering if there was something to this equation that he was missing. It was tenseness in his gut, the feeling of something forgotten, something missed.

Himemiya turned her gaze back to him then, and she smiled slightly. "I suppose so. It was nothing. I would hardly let her come to harm, if I could protect her first."

It was with that cryptic comment that Himemiya turned away from him and walked off the court. Souma frowned again, scratching the back of his neck at the brusque dismissal. Maybe there really _was _something he was missing, here.

* * *

During lunch that day, Souma forsook his usual companions and admirers. Instead, he wandered about the Ototachibana Academy's lush grounds, hunting for someone else instead. Carrying his lunchbox under his arm, he searched for Himeko's trademark red bow and golden hair, humming beneath his breath. A few admirers had tried to follow him about the school grounds, but somehow, he'd managed to foil their plans and convince them that yes, he really _did _want to eat alone today.

_(("Hangers-on and admirers aren't worth your time, Souma."))_

Perhaps he'd finally understood just what that person meant, Souma thought with a grimace as he sent another fangirl away with the promise that, maybe tomorrow he'd eat lunch with her. Maybe.

He sighed, scratching the back of his head as he scanned the lawns of the Academy. Lunch was nearly over now, and he'd not seen a glimpse of Himeko. When he'd tried to ask a few students about her whereabouts, his question had been met with either blank stares of incomprehension, or unsubtle hints to have lunch with _them _instead. Just how elusive _was _Himeko? Nobody seemed to know where she spent her lunches.

He ran his fingers through his bangs in exasperation, trying to examine his options. He'd been told countless times before, by someone who had always been a lot smarter than he was.

_What was Himeko's friend's name again? Makoto Saotome? A track and field champion, though she isn't considered one of the elite of the school. Maybe she knows._

Souma nodded to himself, jogging over to the nearest group of students. They were part of Ototachibana's track and field team, he noted with a slight smile, so they'd be sure to know the name 'Makoto Saotome' when they heard it. Teams took a great deal of pride in their own, after all.

"Hey! Excuse me!" he called out, waving to get the attention of the tight-knit group of five students. "Can I ask you a question?"

A boy, dressed down to his shirtsleeves and with a toothpick clenched between his teeth, looked up at the sudden intrusion into their conversation. The two girls in the group spun around at Souma's voice, their hearts in their eyes as they took him in.

He barely fought off the long-suffering sigh, the one which was just dying to escape his lips.

"Sure, go for it, Jin-sama," one of the girls said, batting her eyes in his direction and unaware of how thin his patience had been worn, today. "Ask _anything_, and it's yours."

_Well, it isn't half obvious what she really wants, _Souma noted sourly, even as he put on his best clueless expression.

"Do you know where I can find Makoto Saotome? I need to ask her a question," he said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "But I have no idea where she spends her lunches."

The dark-haired boy nodded, taking his toothpick from his mouth and studying the splintered end for a moment, a grin coming to his lips. "Saotome is a fairly slippery girl to get a hold of, for sure. Maybe, the incredible Jin-sama is up to the task, though?"

Souma paused awkwardly, unsure if he was talking about Saotome's lunch habits or something else entirely, when the boy and his cohorts burst into raucous laughter.

"So… you don't know?" he asked, a little unconvinced of the boy's response. He just had to err on the side of innocence, here.

The boy shrugged at that, waving a hand in the general direction of the gardens. "I don't know for sure, but word has it that Saotome spends her lunches in the gardens. Hope that helps."

Souma gave the boy a hasty bow in thanks, ignoring the pleas of the girls to stay around and eat his lunch with them. Like he hadn't heard _that _before today… He quickly walked away from the small group before they could think of a reason to follow him. Souma didn't want an audience for this, for what could be the most embarrassing day in his life.

He sighed, nearly jogging in his haste to reach the gardens before the end of lunch. As Souma passed beneath the first of the huge oaks guarding the entrance to the Academy's immaculately-tended gardens, he glanced about. Garden beds full of seasonal flowers, towering trees and dark ferneries – truly, the Ototachibana Academy's gardeners had a fulltime job maintaining this place. They only thing that really needed a prune, was that gigantic rose-bush at the edge of the grounds.

There were a few students in the gardens, eating lunch, studying, doing whatever they liked while they still had the time. Souma scratched his head, scanning his surroundings until he spied his target. Saotome was sitting beneath a large willow tree, a book open on her lap as she read. To his disappointment, she was alone.

Still, he'd come this far. Maybe she knew where Himeko was? Maybe Himeko was serving detention for some unknown reason, though he had a hard time imagining _Himeko _annoying a teacher that much to get punished.

"Saotome!" he called, walking over to the willow as she looked up in surprise. As he neared, he could see her shocked expression slowly suffusing with a blush.

_Here it goes, _he sighed mentally. _I won't be able to get a word in edge-wise now._

"J-Jin-sama!" Saotome scrambled to her feet, ducking her head in a hasty bow. "What are you doing here? Not that I don't want you here, not at all, but what… what are you doing here?"

He wasn't sure he followed all of that, so he just smiled. "I was hoping that you'd know where I could find Kurusugawa today."

"Ah," the girl nodded, looking back down at the brick of a book that had tumbled off her lap, in her haste to rise to her feet. "You aren't the only one!"

"So, you don't know? Aren't you her closest friend?" He really hated pressing the issue like this, but he'd not heard a whisper of Himeko's whereabouts all lunchtime. It was making him edgy, worried. What if something terrible had happened to her? The memory of her near-fall down the steps ghosted back to him.

"Yeah, I'd say that," Saotome agreed. "But that girl would get lost in a car park. I wish I had a beeper on her – every so often, she'll just vanish at lunch and I don't see her again 'til class starts up again."

So this wasn't out of the norm, for Himeko. Souma wasn't sure if he should relax or worry even more.

"Don't you get worried?" he asked, trying to get his head around it. At least she'd dropped the 'Jin-sama' deferential act – maybe it was because of his slightly brusque manner and relentless questioning. He supposed it was hard to admire a jerk.

Makoto shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable, confirming his suspicions. "She's just like that. And when she gives you the slip, you don't have much of a choice. For such a klutz, she's remarkably stealthy. My theory is, that she's gone off to take photos of the local flora or wildlife. She's a bit of a budding photographer."

"I see," Souma said, stooping to collect Saotome's fallen textbook. History – she was doing homework at lunch? He passed it back to her, his gaze questioning.

"I normally have track practice after school," she said, a little defensive as she took the book. "I usually use lunches to get ahead, so I don't have to do so much after practice. Even though Kobaru-sensei is sick today, it's become a bit of a habit."

Souma sighed again. Maybe this wasn't the best way to get information from Himeko's best friend. He sat down, his back against the willow's truck, and gestured for her to do the same.

"Do you mind if I wait here with you, Saotome?" he asked her as she sat across from him, her green eyes confused. "I promise that I won't disturb your study."

She looked like she had a few misgivings, but she nodded anyhow. "Please, Jin-sama. It would be an honour. I can't really promise that she'll make it back here before the end of lunch, though. That girl's sense of timing is way off."

Leaning back against the willow trunk, Souma ate his lunch in silence as he stared at the green canopy above them. Every so often, he'd glance down – Makoto was buried in the text book, her lips moving quickly as she tried to memorize the words printed on the pages. He watched her frown deepen.

_It's odd. She isn't gawking at me, batting her eyes or weaselling favours out of me, _he thought as he turned his eyes back to the leaves. _I wish more people were like that. Even more than that, I wish Himeko was here._

* * *

It took every fibre in Makoto's being to force herself to keep reading the book, even though her mind was screaming at her that _Souma Oogami was having lunch with her. _Hell, she almost expected Chikane Himemiya to pay her a courtesy visit now, since the laws of probability had just been well and truly _screwed_.

_Jin-sama. _The prince of the school, the elite, one of the most popular and sought-after guys in the school. Having lunch with _her. _Well, she amended quickly, it was more like that he was waiting for Himeko in a place that the girl was likely to return to. She wasn't sure what was up with that, either. What business did a guy like Jin-sama have with a girl like Himeko? She flicked a page of her book, struggling to keep her mind on the characters.

Makoto really had no idea where Himeko went off to, during the lunches when she went walkabouts. She'd never really thought about it, beyond that sometimes Himeko was there, sometimes she was not.

_If it were any other girl_, Makoto thought dryly, _I'd be suspicious of just where she went, if she was meeting some guy in a rose garden. _

But Himeko? The girl was as meek as a lamb, and while she was a klutz, Makoto had faith in Himeko's ability to stay _marginally _out of trouble when her best friend wasn't around to save her neck. Then again, if she really stayed out of trouble, what was a guy like Souma Oogami doing here, asking for her by name?

She rolled her shoulders restlessly, stealing a glance at her unexpected visitor. He was staring up at the high branches of the willow they were seated under, his arms crossed behind his head. Jin-sama had been a good deal more abrupt than she'd first thought, though Makoto guessed that it was because he was being forced to deal with the lower echelons of society, like her.

_Lifestyles of the popular and famous, _she sighed silently, turning the page again as she realized she'd read the same line ten times already. _Mako-chan, you might be great at sports, but you gotta have excellent grades too, to be one of the elite. You don't stand a chance in hell, not with Jin-sama. Not with __your__ iffy grades._

It was the bitter truth. Movement between the elite and the general school populace was uncommon, and difficult as hell to achieve. Those who were average were fated to _stay_ average. It was the exceptional students who got adored, who had the life everyone dreamed of. Short of dating one of the elite – a laughable impossibility – stations never changed.

As she heard the bell ring to signify lunch's end, she closed her book quietly.

"Guess Himeko will be meeting me in class, then," she said carefully, not looking at Jin-sama as she heard him rise to his feet. "Sorry."

"Nah, it's no problem, Saotome. It was a long shot, and you didn't promise me anything," he said, his voice warm. Makoto looked up, and was startled to see that he had offered his hand to help her to her feet. Accepting it, she rose to her feet, feeling herself flush a little.

Elite or no, she supposed Souma Oogami could be gallant when he felt like it.

"I guess," she muttered, brushing the loose blades of grass from her skirt and refusing to look at him. "I'll let Himeko know you were looking for her."

"Thankyou, Saotome," he bowed deeply, his voice light as he turned to head back to the Academy's classrooms. "That's appreciated."

Makoto watched him go, fighting hard to stop the grin from appearing on her lips. Failing miserably, she whooped loudly, punched the air and jogged all the way back to the Academy. She was still grinning as the teacher entered her classroom and began the subject, and when Himeko burst into class ten minutes later. After a quick and brutal pull through by the maths teacher, a visibly chastened Himeko took the seat next to Makoto.

Still smirking, Makoto leaned over and whispered in Himeko's ear, "Can you guess who was looking for you at lunch time, Himeko?"

* * *

Souma was pretty much ready to call the day a complete bust, at least on the 'Talk to Himeko' front. Everything he'd planned to do today, everything he'd planned on saying – he sighed as he wandered down the steep Ototachibana Academy steps, his bag slung over his shoulder. Maybe tomorrow would be better, but he'd really wanted to ask her _today. _What if she made plans without him?

He stopped at his bike, fishing around in his bag for the keys. Listening half-heartedly to the chatter of students waiting for the bus from behind the wall, he couldn't wait to get home and sleep away the rest of this disappointing day.

"-but what _have _you been doing, to attract the good regard of both Chikane Himemiya _and _Souma Oogami?" a voice crowed from behind the wall, sounding absolutely delighted at something.

"_Mako-chan!_" The next voice sounded scandalized – more, it sounded _familiar. _His eyes widened, and he froze in the act of slipping his helmet on.

_Himeko?!_

His heart began to pound – there was no way he could ever misplace that voice. It was certainly Himeko, and from the sounds of it, Saotome was teasing her about her rather 'eventful' day. He supposed that was right; between her near-accident and Souma asking after her, it hadn't exactly been a normal day for Himeko.

Souma looked at the helmet in his hands, considering it. He could carry one extra person, yes. So he could offer to give Himeko a lift, to wherever she was headed on the bus. That would give him time to rearrange his thoughts, gather his courage and ask the question. It was a good plan. But he doubted Himeko would just up and leave Makoto Saotome, just because he came along and offered her a ride. It went completely against Himeko's giving and empathetic nature.

But he couldn't let this chance go.

_Take your destiny with both hands, _a familiar voice told him seriously. _Take it and run with it. _

Souma made the decision in a split second – he tossed the helmet and his keys back into his bag, and rounded the corner. Himeko and Saotome stood among a handful of other students waiting for the bus into town. So, the two of them were going shopping. He supposed that would work to his advantage, if he played his cards right.

"Kurusugawa! Saotome!" he said, striding over to them with a smile. "Where are you off to?"

"O-Oogami!" the object of his affections squeaked when she saw him, all of a sudden flushing. Her wide, purple eyes flashed to Saotome, then back to him, and then to the ground. So, Saotome had definitely been teasing her about something. He wondered vaguely if it was malicious.

"Jin-sama," the track and field runner nodded to him, a bit of a smirk playing on her lips. "My, my, Himeko. We certainly are popular today."

"_Mako-chan!_" Himeko squeaked, her face growing redder as Souma grinned. "It's not like that! Oogami is a friend."

"But how _good_ of a friend is the real question," Saotome laughed as both of them began to splutter. "You certainly have grown some wiles, all when I wasn't looking!" To Souma, she added, "We're catching the bus down to the town, so there you have it."

Souma turned away quickly to hide his flushed face. "I see. Then you two wouldn't mind if I joined you?" He really hadn't meant to shout that last part, but Saotome's jokes had gotten under his skin, had made him nervous. No wonder Himeko had been blushing so much!

"Uh, sure. Anything you like is okay, Oogami," Himeko told him quietly, looking a little confused at his request. Saotome was still smirking, and damnit, he could still feel himself blushing. Maybe this whole crazy idea was going to be harder than he thought.

* * *

"You know, if it were up to Himeko, we wouldn't have even managed to catch the bus in time. She was still daydreaming in the hallways when I found her, staring out the window! Lucky for you, I didn't have track tonight. What _would _you do without me to watch your back, hey Himeko?"

The blonde daydreamer at least had the grace to look ashamed of herself, as she nodded in agreement. "I lost track of time. I would have missed the bus for sure."

Makoto smiled at her, her mind still reeling from her latest shock, as the third person in their odd company laughed a little.

_Jin-sama. _The favourite pupil of Ototachibana Academy, the prince, Mr. Popular himself. Shopping around town with _them. _Well, she supposed, he really wanted to go shopping with _Himeko, _and Makoto was just an unfortunate tag-along who'd foiled his plans_. _It was no secret that Souma Oogami rode his motorcycle to school – why would he need to catch the bus in order to go to town? Unless he wanted to talk to Himeko still, after he wasn't able to find her at lunch.

Himeko didn't appear to have made this connection, though. The girl seemed awful preoccupied today, and something told Makoto that it wasn't the fall that did it. Himeko fell at least three times a day – she didn't usually get this contemplative after them, though. So it had to be something else. Was it Jin-sama's presence? It could very well be that, she decided. Then again, who knew _what _went on in Himeko's head sometimes.

"Can I suggest we take a seat?" Jin-sama said suddenly, breaking both Himeko and Makoto out of their respective reveries. "I know a place that sells some pretty good ice-cream, if you guys like that."

Himeko smiled at him, and Makoto wondered if she realized, how it made Jin-sama's heart skip a beat…

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Oogami!" she said hesitantly, then looked at Makoto. "Did you want ice-cream too, Mako-chan?"

Makoto shrugged carelessly. "I could do with a bite, I guess," she said.

Sure, she could leave the two of them alone, to do whatever it was that Oogami wanted, but that would leave her bored, alone and ice-creamless. It was pretty clear what the better option was. Besides, it wouldn't kill Jin-sama to work for what he wanted. She wasn't about to give a freebie to an elite student, he had it easy enough.

Jin-sama led them through the shopping mall, winding between people and heading for a place not far from the central food court. Makoto observed their destination with a critic's eye. The ice-cream bar was reasonably busy, with a bit of a line as people waited to buy the cones. Maybe, Jin-sama had it right about this place.

"My brother, Kazuki, sometimes takes me and Yukihito here," Jin-sama explained to them as they waited in line. "I've practically been brought up on this stuff, so I like to share the place with people."

"It sounds nice, Oogami," Himeko said quietly, almost so quiet Makoto didn't hear. "I'm glad you can do that."

"Just like how you share your photos with other people, right?" Makoto elbowed Himeko in the ribs, grinning widely at her best friend as she blushed.

Himeko lowered her eyes, staring at the ground. "Th-that's different, Mako-chan. I'm really no good at it."

_The sad part is that she really believes it, _Makoto thought grimly, as she shot Oogami a look. He looked at her in surprise, then back to Himeko as he got the silent message.

"Kurusugawa, I would be honoured if you would show me your work, sometime," he said warmly, as open and honest as one usually expected from a guy of Jin-sama's reputation. Himeko looked mortified, but Makoto saw the brief flicker of happiness before the usual self-doubt had crushed it.

"How about you guys go and grab some seats, while I place the order?" Jin-sama said suddenly, smiling at the two of them. Makoto grabbed Himeko's wrist and tugged her along, not missing the grateful look on her friend's face as they located a table.

For all Himeko's sweetness and kindness, she had no idea of how to deal with a situation like that. She couldn't fathom any grain of self-worth in herself, and couldn't see it when people like Jin-sama or even Makoto tried to show it to her. It was a sad situation; one that Makoto still had no idea of how to handle even years after first meeting the timid girl.

It was a few minutes before Jin-sama brought back three sundaes to their table, and he juggled the three ice-creams with so much care it was almost comical. As they sat, eating the desserts, Jin-sama finally spoke up.

"So what are you guys looking for, anyway? Anything in particular?"

Himeko paused in her eating for a moment, looking a little conflicted before she finally gave in. "I'm looking for a gift for Miya-sama, for her birthday tomorrow," she told them, her voice growing smaller and smaller under the scrutiny.

"Ah. You guys got the invitations too, then?" Jin-sama asked, mixing his sundae up with his spoon to create a sticky mess. "Most of the school's been invited."

"Impressive, no? But what could you possible get, that someone as wealthy as Miya-sama doesn't already have?" Makoto watched him continue mixing his sundae, wondering if he actually planned on eating the remains.

"I don't know," Himeko admitted, visibly slumping. "I just hoped I would be able to find something. I had an idea, but…"

"Go on, Kurusugawa. We're all ears," Jin-sama said, finally beginning to eat the brown mess he'd made of his chocolate sundae. Makoto looked away from it, back to Himeko.

"Yeah, Himeko. Run it by us!" Anything, anything at _all _to get her mind off that sludge he'd made.

Himeko glanced down at her spoon, looking as if she wished the ground below her would open up and swallow her. When it became clear that it wasn't going to happen, and that Makoto and Jin-sama were still waiting for her idea, she finally began to speak in a soft, hesitant voice.

"I was thinking about this ring I saw in a catalogue not long ago…"

* * *

Night had fallen by the time the bus pulled up at the Ototachibana Academy stop, letting the three students off. Souma offered his hand to help Himeko and her friend down the steps of the bus, smiling slightly when Saotome snubbed it and instead jumped down the remaining steps herself.

As he assisted Himeko, he looked up at the darkened school. Himeko and Saotome lived on the campus itself – he knew Himeko's reason for doing so, but what was Saotome's? There were a few lights, scattered up the steep stairs to the school, and if he craned his neck, he could see the lights of the residency buildings through the trees. Ototachibana Academy was a school for the well-off students, and the students that were brilliant enough to land scholarships. The halls were offered to students who either had no place else to go, or who had to commute large distances to attend the school.

Souma smiled as Himeko looked down on the long, thin box she'd purchased. She was blushing, but she seemed happier than he'd seen her look for a long time.

For all that Saotome's presence had interfered with his plans, though, it had been nice to simply hang out with the two of them. Saotome had really taken the pressure off, and aside from a few embarrassing remarks, she'd been surprisingly fun to be around. The way she brought Himeko out of her shell, and the way Himeko smiled when Saotome did so, was enough to make up for his thwarted intentions that day.

Still, he had to ask the question sometime. As Himeko and Saotome turned to leave for the campus halls, he cleared his throat quickly.

"Uh, Kurusugawa? Can I have a word?" His face felt hot, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Himeko nodded, Saotome shrugged, and he felt a small measure of relief. So she wasn't going to turn him down immediately. She'd at least have the kindness to listen to him fumble over his request…

Souma led her away, from where Saotome stood with her arms crossed over her chest, and took a deep breath.

"Kurusugawa, it's your birthday tomorrow, right?" he blurted. None of this was going the way he planned – where were the words he'd planned to use?

"Y-yeah," Himeko murmured, and her eyes seemed a little confused at what he was getting at. Souma paused, trying a different tact.

"Please, would you meet me tomorrow?!" His face felt so hot, he wouldn't have been surprised had he burst into flames there and then. He looked down at his hands, then forced himself to clarify, "I have something I'd really like to talk to you about."

There was a pause. She wasn't buying it, he realized as he cursed himself internally.

"Tomorrow? Does it have to be tomorrow, Oogami?" Himeko asked softly, frowning at him. God, but she looked so beautiful in the falling darkness.

"Yes!" he said, a little forcefully, but then looked aside as her eyes widened at his vehemence.

_Way to go and put her off, Souma. You jackass. You blew it._

As the silence rode on, Himeko looked back to where Saotome was standing. The other girl waved in encouragement, and Himeko looked back to Souma.

"I'll try," she murmured. It wasn't an agreement, but it certainly wasn't a 'get lost Souma'. Maybe he had a chance, after all? His face broke into a huge grin, and he escorted her back to the Ototachibana Academy's wrought iron gates. As he nodded good night to the two girls, he was suddenly struck by a thought.

_((__"We have to be on guard. The darkness clouds the horizon, worse than I've ever felt it to be. All will be revealed tomorrow, no matter what happens."))_

The yawning pit of worry started in his stomach, again. There was no cause to be so disturbed by Kazuki's words to Yukihito that morning, but it was as if _something _inside him resonated. Some extra sense of apprehension and fear.

Himeko started up the steps, and Saotome waved at him as she turned to go. Souma reached out, grabbing her shoulder gently, his words bubbling past his lips before he had a chance to think about what the hell he was doing.

"Wait! Saotome. Please. I know this sounds a little weird, but tomorrow. Please look after Kurusugawa for me. It's probably nothing, but I have a bad feeling."

Saotome's green eyes widened slightly, and then she nodded.

"You can count on me, Oogami."

* * *

**A/N: **I hope that my renditions of both Souma and Makoto have been enjoyable. Souma is a little different from canon, and there's not really much to work with from Makoto's canon characterization, outside teasing, bubbly best friend who sometimes lets her emotions take hold.

I'd intended to reach the end of episode 1, but at over 8k words, I think epic mecha battles should be saved for _another _time.

Another note: **I am seeking a beta reader for this fic. If you'd like to bounce ideas on characterization and the like (and tell me that this part is weak, that dialogue sucked, etc) give me a PM. **Things are going to get muddy, later on, in terms of psychology.

A note on honorifics – while the English dub keeps 'Miya-sama' and 'Jin-sama', it drops Himeko's nicknames, like 'Chikane-chan' and 'Mako-chan'. As you can see above, I've seen fit to leave them in, just because they're just so iconic to the characters themselves and shows how close Himeko is to the both of them. So while those canon names and the nicknames are left in, other honorifics and the like will be left out. This is just my preference, feel free to disagree with me. I don't speak Japanese, so I don't exactly know what the hell I'm talking about here.


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